KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the state government will do everything possible to protect the lives and livelihoods of coastal fishermen who are affected by sea erosion. The chief minister was speaking at the inauguration of the work on Rs 344-crore coastal project at Chellanam, which includes construction of groynes and a seawall using tetrapods.
The chief minister said that it is the first time in the state that a coastal protection system has been constructed using tetrapods. “For the safety of coastal areas in the state, projects worth Rs 5,300 crore have been progressing in state. As a first step, the government plans to take immediate action after identifying 10 hotspots in the state where coastal erosion and flooding are frequent. Coastal protection activities are being carried out with the help of modern technology. Since Chellanam is an area that is prone to sea erosion during all monsoons, the first phase of the project began from here,” the chief minister said.
He said that the project at Chellanam envisages renovation of 10-km-long seawall in Chellanam panchayat using a tetrapod and the construction of groyne networks at Bazar and Kannamali. “In the first phase, 7.35 km of sea wall will be built at a cost of Rs 256 crore. The first phase of construction has started in areas such as Companypady, Bazaar and Chalakkadavu, which are hit hard by rough waves. Twenty per cent of work has already been completed,” the CM said, adding that the project would be completed in 16 months.
The first phase of the project, which is expected to be over in 16 months, will start near the fishing harbour and extend to Puthenthode beach. In addition, a network of six groynes will be set up at Chellanam Bazaar as part of the project. In the second phase, the remaining 2.65 km seawall will be constructed and a network of nine groynes will be erected at Kannamali, he added.